1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to satellite antennas for transmitting and receiving radio and television signals to and from satellites located in a geosynchronous orbit around the earth and more particularly, to an adjustable bracket mount for securely, accurately and removably positioning the feed horn and low noise amplifier, or the feed assembly components of the satellite antenna at the prime focus, or the point toward which the satellite dish reflects and concentrates the signals. A primary feature of the invention is the versatile nature of the adjustable bracket mount, which facilitates positioning of the feed horn and low noise amplifier at various distances from the center of a variety of selected antenna dishes in order to locate the feed assembly precisely at the prime focus of the antenna. Another important feature of the adjustable bracket mount of this invention is the stability of the bracket, which is designed to securely and positively, yet removably, mount the feed horn and low noise amplifier with minimum vibration in a precise location with respect to the prime focus of the antenna.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various mounting brackets and systems for securing the feed horn and low noise amplifier or feed assembly to the dish of a satellite antenna at the prime focus of the antenna are known in the art. Typical of these devices is the commonly used four leg mount and the tripod mount, the latter of which is illustrated in FIG. 1 of applicant's drawing and is labeled "PRIOR ART". The tripod and four leg mechanical supports suffer from the disadvantage of requiring three or four mounting points on the satellite dish, which points of attachment must be carefully chosen in order to ensure that the necessary feed assembly components of the antenna, which are secured to the apex of the pyramid formed by the three or four bracket legs, are located at the prime focus of the antenna. Furthermore, supports having legs of different lengths for each selected antenna dish of a different size are required, since the prime focus is different for satellite antennas of varying size and dish design.
Other mounting brackets and assemblies such as the single-leg mount, are also known in the art. This mount consists of a single rod or tube extending outwardly at an angle from the antenna dish to the prime focus, with the attitude angle chosen such that the feed assembly is mounted at the prime focus. These brackets are difficult to mount securely such that the feed horn and low noise amplifier are free from undesirable vibration, which blurs the television image. A variation of the single leg support is the mount support which is offset by a double bend from a point of attachment to the dish, in order to locate the top of the bracket and the antenna feed assembly at the prime focus of the satellite antenna.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved adjustable bracket mount for supporting the feed horn and low noise amplifier in a wide variety of satellite antennas, which bracket mount is stable, relatively free of vibration and is designed to locate the feed assembly components at the prime focus of these antennas.
Another object of this invention is to provide an adjustable bracket mount for securely and positively, yet adjustably and removably supporting certain functional antenna components such as the feed assembly, at the prime focus or other desired location above the antenna dish in satellite antennas of various size and design.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved adjustable bracket mount for mounting on the dish of a satellite antenna and securely, yet adjustably, supporting the antenna feed assembly at the prime focus of the antenna, which bracket mount is characterized by a base secured to the antenna dish, an offset bracket adjustably carried by a bottom support slidably and rotatably mounted in the base, the offset bracket adjustably supporting a top support and a feed horn bracket adjustably attached to the top support and designed to receive a feed horn and precisely locate a feed assembly at the prime focus of the antenna.
A still further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable bracket mount for locating an antenna feed assembly at the prime focus of a satellite antenna, which bracket mount includes a base secured to the antenna dish; a bottom support slidably and rotatably extending from the base toward the prime focus; an offset bracket rotatably and slidably carried by the bottom support and rotatably and slidably attached to a top support which is parallel to and offset above the bottom support; and a feed horn bracket rotatably and slidably carried by the top support and spaced from the offset bracket, to facilitate positioning of the feed assembly at various prime focus locations in a wide variety of satellite antennas of various design and size.